Marshall's in Town

Everyone has a favorite view of the Golden Gate Bridge. And ours? With respect to all the great options, we’ve got to say it’s from San Francisco’s Marshall’s Beach. What makes this tucked-away haven in the Presidio so good? For starters, you’ve gotta hike about half a mile to get to it, and that includes a lengthy wooden stairway. Locals and tourists alike don’t seem to frequent the beach late day, toward sunset, which is an absolutely sublime time to be here (pro photographers are onto this too). Second, it’s about as close as you can get to the big golden beauty without being underneath it.

Access to Marshall’s Beach is currently limited to one specific route, due to trail closures along many sections of the coastal trail network. So park by Battery Godfrey/Fort Winfield Scott (see italics) and follow the signs to Marshall’s Beach, descending the trail and paralleling the coast for a bit before the wooden steps take you down to the beach, a long, wide crescent-shaped swath backed by cliffs and flanked by sea stacks the closer you get toward a close-up of the bridge.

And while we said that just before sunset is a great time to be here, full moons might be spotted at any time. Marshall’s Beach has clothing-optional visitors too, sometimes. So, enjoy the sunset (or the full moon … just don’t let it photo-bomb your selfies!).

Park by Battery Godfrey/Fort Winfield Scott off of Lincoln Blvd. Map. Follow the Batteries to Bluffs Trail toward Marshall’s Beach. Return the way you came. No dogs.